Mining machine



Oct v1 1927- E. J. DOBERSTEIN MINING MACHINE Original Fi1edseptg4, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet. 2l

lllll Il l/mnl Oct. 4,1927. 1,644,183

E. J. DOBERSTEIN MINING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 24, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 FLIJIVIIIITI ,11| I. I l lil mmall Oct. 4, 1927e E. J. DoBERs'rElN MINING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed sept. 24; 192s Oct. v 4, 1927.

` 1,644,183 E. J. DoBERsTEm MINING MACHINE Original Filed Sept, 24, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Ott. 4,1927. 1,644,183

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE; EDWARD J. `noisnns'rniiv, OF BLUE .assGNOn TO GOOnMAN MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, or OrIiOAGO, Immers, A CORPORATION OF 1LLrNO1s.-.

MINING MACHINE.

Application sied september 24, 1923, semi No. 664,359. Renewed March 3, 1927.

rlhis invention relates to transportation depresent invention, with parts cut away .to vices 'for mining machines and has for its show details of the gearing thereof. 55 principal object to lprovide auxiliary draft Figure 4 is a longitudinal section taken means for transporting an undercutting maon line 4 4 of Figure 3. Y

5 chine from placeV to place along the mine Figure 5 is a transverse section taken on iioor for greater distances or at a higher rate line 5 5 of Figure 3. of speed than is ordinarily practicable with Figure 6 is a transverse section taken kon 50 machines of this character.. line @#6 of Figure 4.

More specifically, my invention is adapted Figure 7 is a transverse section taken on 10 particularly forl use in connection with. a line 7-7 of Figure 4. l

continuous cutting or shortwall type of min- Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating a typical Ying machine, used principally for undercutmethod in which vmy improved apparatus 05 ting coal in the room and pillar system of may be utilized in theA room and pillar sysmining, and consists in-providing a supporttcm or" mining, showing various positions of.

ing skid carrying an auxiliary power mechathe parts of the apparatus while moving the nism. such asa motor, together with a windcutting apparatus. toward the Working face ing drum and draft cable, whereby the cutof a mine room to make a transverse cut 70 ting mechanism may be transported from therealong. cutting place to cutting place, said cutting Forthe purpose ofillustration, my invenmechanism and Vskid requiring a minimum tion is shown as applied to a cutting mechaoverhead clearance, as is. desirable under nism 10 of the shortwall type, and a wheeled many conditions of mining. This operation truck 1.1.,of the type usually employed for 75 of transporting a cutting mechanism intersupport-ing and carrying such cutting mechamediate cutting places is commonly referred nisms, excepting when withdrawn. there- D to as flittingl in some localities. Furtherfrom for slidingwmovement along the mine more, the cutting Amec'hanism'and auxiliary floor during actual cut-ting operations; Cut'- skid may be mounted and carried bodily ting mechanisms and machine trucks of the upon a wheel mining machine truck, and in type mentionedr may vary Widely in constructhe present instance theauxiliary power detion, but usually have certain common charvices on the skid truck are provided with actcristics. For instance, the cutting'` mechadetachable power connections with the truck, nism 10 is provided with a shoe '12 upon whereby the entireapparatus may be transwhich the cutting mechanism is mounted vfor ported along the mine tracks in the usual sliding movement on the mine bottom during manner.l where such tracks are available. the cutting operations.Y The cutting mecha- Other and further objects and advantages nism is further provided with a cutting eleof my invention will appear from time to ment, forl example, a `cutter bar 13 ofthe time as the following description proceeds. ordinary type having an endless cutter chain rhe invention may be best understood by (not shown), movable thereabout. Thema.-

reference to the accompanying drawings ilchine is controlled andfed to the work by lustrating one form in which my invention means of flexible draft ropes l1st and. 15,

may be embodied: wound respectively `on drums 16 and v17.

ln these drawings: The cutting and feeding mechanisms are Figure 1 is a plan view of the cutting apdriven by a.` motor 18, one or both of .the paratus including a cutting mechanismof drums 16 and 17 having driving engagethe shortwall type and an auxiliary transment with said motor, as desired. Details 0f porting device constructed in. accordancev the power gearing on the cutting mechanism with my invention, both being mounted need not be described in detail as they form upon a mining machine truck. no part of the present invention. l

Figure 2 is a side-view of the apparatus The construction of the supporting skid shown in Figure-,1 with parts broken away indicated generally by the numeral 25 will to show details of the supporting skid. now be described. `Said skid is designed to 5 Figure 3 is a plan view of the transportreceive and support the cutting mechanism 1 ing unit forming an important part of my 10 and to this end comprises an elongated body portion or frame 26 preferably provided with lateral flanges or guides 27, 2?, extending upwardly so as to receive the bottom plate 12 of the cutting mechanism therebetween. The front end of the frame 26 is open, the flanges 27, 27 being flared outwardly, so'that the cutting m chanism l0 may be readily loaded thereon. An apron 28 is connected to the front end of said fi. a ie in position to be dropped into engagement with the ground at its forward edge, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 4. to facilitate theloading of the cutting mechanism thereon. In the form shown this apron has hinged connection with the frame 26 by means of a pair of downwardly extending flanges 29, 29, extending through slots 30, 80, and having stop members 31, 31 securing said flanges in place,v but permitting the limited vertical pivotal movement de It will be understood that when in op t tion the supporting` skid 25 together wth the cutting mechanism 10 are adapted to be unloaded bodily from the mining` machine truck 11, to be slid universally over the mine floor, and particularly for Hitting from one cutting -place to the next. 1n the forni shown, the skid is provided with a pair of runners 35, 35, extending longitudinally along opposite sides of and underneath the frame 26. -These runners are rigid with re-l spect to the frame 26, being' connected there-- to by any suitable means, such as welding or riveting.V .f

The power devices mounted on the rear end of the skid comprise an actuator such a motor 19 for driving a winding'drum 40. In the form shown this drum is carried on a horizontally disposed shaft 41 extending transversely of the skid and suitably supported on brackets 42 at one sido of the frame 26, and a bracket 43 disposed centrally of said frame. This winding drum is preferably of large proportions so as to carry draft cable 45 much longer than either of the draft cables 14 or 15 heretofore described as being part of the loading mechanism of the cutting apparatus 10. The drum is adapted to be driven by the motor 19 on the `d through suitable gearing such as an armature pinion 20 meshed with a gear 21 on a stud shaft 21a carried onta supporting bearing 22. A beveled pinion 23 is keyed to the shart and is meshed with beveled r 23"L mounted loosely on the shaft 41. A sliding` clutch member 24 is feathered on shaft 41 and provides driving connection between the beveled gear 23 and the shaft 41 so as to drive the drum 40 on said shaft. This gearing connection is preferably designed to drive the drum 40 ata higher rate of speed 'than the driving speed of the draft drums or 17 carried by the cutting mechanism 10 as aforesaid.

The cutting` mechanism 10 is preferably loaded upon Vthe supporting skid 25 kwhen the latter is resting upon the ground as indicated in Figure 4. 'In this position the outer end of the apron on the front end ofl the skid is dropped into engagement with the ground, as shown in dottedk lines. A pair of longitudinally extending support plates 55, 55. are provided along opposite sides of and above the frame 26, along which plates the bed plate or shoe 12 of the cutting mechanisn'i is adapted to slide. A pair of stops 56, 56 are secured to thev frame-26 to limit the rearward movement of the cutting mechanism 10 respective to the skit The cutting mechanism may be loaded upon the skid 25 in either one of two manners. The draft devices 14 or 15 suitably actuated by the motor 18 of the cutting mechanism 10 may be employed for this purpose by training such devices in the usualy manner over a centrally'disposed sheave 5'? with the free end of said cable anchored at a suitable place on the centrall Y bracket 43 on the skid. ing upon the skid is similar to the well known method of loading such a cutting mechanism directly upon the mining machine truck. The second method of loading made possible by the censtructi on forming the Vsubject matter of the present invention7 is that of utilizing'the auxiliary draft device mounted on the skid. 1n the latter method the cable 45 onthe drum 40 is detachably connected to the cuttino' mechanism 10 at the rear end thereof. Suitable guide devices on the skid` are provided for this cable, comprising a sheave ZO mounted on the floor of the skid immediately in front of the drum 40. Said sheave is arranged on an inclined axis as shown in Figure 4,.in position to permit the rope 45 to be passed thereabout'and thence laterally about a vertically disposed sheave Z1 disposed centrally of the frame 26. The center portion of the frame 26 between plates 5' 55 is preferably cut away as indicated er, at so as to permitthe rope 45 to pass This method of load- Y freely underneath the bottom shoe 12 of the cutting machine when it is mounted on the skid,

A pair of oppositely disposed sheaves .72 are mounted on a bracket 77 extending 'oss the opening 73 at the forward end of the skid. These lateral sheaves being ark ranged below the top surface and' between the plates 55, 55 upon which the bottom plate 12 of the cutting mechanism rests. The rear portion of the apron 28 adjacent the opening 73 is alsol cut away indicated at 78. The tree end of the rope 45 may thus pass above the apron 28 sovas to be attached to the rear of the cutting' mechanism and for thispurpose is provided withVV a terminal connection. such as an eye 79 Vwhich may be end upon a centrally disposed hook memhe. 80 at the rear end ofthe shoe 12. The sheaves 72, 72 are spaced apart so as to per- 'mit the rope to rest :therebetween :but be removable therefrom as the cuttingy mechanism 10 is loaded uponthe'skid. Theguid'e devices, just described, also serve to maintain the draft rope in central alignment of the skid when said rope and auxiliary draft devices on the skid aie used for transporting the entire apparatus including the cutting mechanism when in mounted position upon the skid., as will hereinafter be more fully explained. Y

:Suitable guide devices are also provided to permit the' cable to be ext-ended toward the rear of the at-paratus as for insta-nce. about a sheave 81 mounted on an inclined axis behind 'the drum 40 and a vcoacting sheave 82 disposed centrally of the skid about which the cable 45 may be trained, as indicated in dotted lines iii Figure 3. rlie cutting mechanism 10 may be locked vith respect to the skid 25` when loaded thereon, by suitable means, such as a pin 85 fitting through a suitable aperture 86 formed in the flange 27 and registering with an aperture 87 formed in the underframe of the cutting mechanism.

iilhen the cutting mechanism 10 is loaded upon the skid 25, as above described, they may be loaded as a unit upon the mining machine truck 11, shown in Figures 1 and 2. in this position an operative connection is provided between the auxiliary motor 19, carried by the skid 25, and the' power connections on the truck for driving the truck wheels. ln the form shown these power connections comprise a helical gear 90, keyed on the hub of the beveled gear 23a, which has been heretofore described as being iocsely mounted on shaft 17 at the rear end the skid. This helical gear90 is meshed a coactin I udinal d' posed shaft 93, journaled in the bracket L13 ai right angles to the shaft 11. rlie shaft 93 is adapted to have detachable connection with the mechanism rcarried iininfrmachine truck 11 when the .e d is .vn rearwardly, in the positions shown inhigures 1 and 2. The gearingon the i""iing machine truck may be of any ordina l, construction and forms nopart of the present invention. In the Aform shown this gearing comprises a driving pin 94 having a` coupling socket 95 adapted to engage a squared end 96on the rear end ofthe sl 93. A worm 97 is connectedwith the p'n 9d and engages a worm geai1 98 on a cross shaft 99 having a sprocket 100 thereon. ifi drive chain 101 is trained oversprocket 10G and another' sprocket 102. secured in the usual manner to the rear truck wheel 103.

rflic use and advantages of the apparatus above described are as follows:

rlhe supporting skid 25 is primarily designed for transporting the cutting mechaiiism 10 in places where it is impracticable he'ical gear 92 keyed on aA some. mining conditions, as for instance, where tracks are not available, it is impossible to use a. mining lmachine truck at all and under such conditions the supporting skid 25 is used exclusively for Vtransportation ofthe cutting mechanism. In the diagrams shown in Figures 8 and 9 a condition .is illustrated where tracks are laid along a main entry withk a stub or-switch 111 extending into the neck or entry 112 of a room 113. The'entire length of the room is not shown as it may extend a distance of from 200 to 300 feet from the entrance to the `working face' 114i at which the cutting operation is to be performed. It Will thus be seen that no tracks are laid beyond the entry, making it necessary to transport the cutting mechanism a considerablel distance along the mine floor to the working face.

As heretofore constructed, cutting mechanisms have' been moved along the mine floor by means of draft` ropes under power of their 'own motors. Alt will be understood that iin machines of this type, it is desirable to limit the size of winding drum and the intermediate gearing as near as possible to actual requirements for cutting across a relatively short working face, say '30 to 50. Therefore, the winding drums are usually provided with cable not exceeding the width of the room andthe winding drums are provided with two gear reductions, the Kslow spe-ed being with feeding varying from say 2O to 24 per minute and a higher speed for moving the machine toward and away from the machine truck and for loading upon the truck.y This high speed however, is not usually more than 40 per minute in st instances being considerably less. It vwill now be understood therefore, that when it is necessaryto iity the machine over great distances. as for instance, in the case illustrated, of a rooin200 o-r 800 long, the' movenient. of the cutting machine even by means of its .own high speed gearing is necessarily lengthy and laborious. The holding cable on the. power drum being relatively short n in st be anchored, wound, then unwound and re-anchored several times before the entire' dist-ance is covered, furthermore the maximum speed obtainable on the power drum is limited lso as to require an unnecessarily long time to lit themachine 'and when it is corsidered that under some instances it is necessary to flit the' machine entirely without the use of a mining machine truck in some instances betweenl working places remote from each other in the same mine, the advantages of providing a device for moving the machine at a higher rate of speed and the greater distances with one set of jacks and winding ofdraft devices, will at once be apparent.

Accordingly, by means of the present invention the cutting mechanism may be transported along the ground while mounted upon the skid 25, by means of the auxiliary draft cable which may be trai-ned and anchored cit-her forwardly or rearwardly of the v machine. Furthermore, the machine may be unloaded and loaded upon the skid while bling moved at a greater rate, and moved greater distances than heretofore, illustrated in the diagrams in Figure 8.

In Figure 8 the machine is shown in one position, supported on the skid 25 which has been unloaded from the mining machine truck at the room entry 112. From this position the auxiliary draft rope, 45 carried on the skid, is extended forwardly of the skid about a sheave 115 adjacent the working face 114 and the corner of the room wher@ the cutting operation is to begin. From the sheave the rope 45 passes about the sheave 115 and is then deflected back where it is connected tothe front end of the mining machine in position to drag the latter forwardly of the skid and toward the face. In this diagram the machine is shown in dotted lines in an intermediate posit-ion adjacent rthe working face and again in full lines when its own draft ropes 14 and 15 have been set in the usual manner to perform the cutting operation across the working face. The machine is shown in still another position in dotted lines at the left hand corner of the room 'after the cutting'operation has been completed. lhen the machine is to be withdrawn from the working face and returned to the loaded position upon the skid, the draft rope 45 of the skid may also be used advantageously for returning the machine to the skid as illustrated more particularly in Figure 8. It will be understood that in case the rope 45` is not sufficiently long to move the mining machine the entire length of the room the device may be'used so` that the cutting mechanism l0 may be transported bythe skid in stages toward the working face until it reaches a position in which the rope 45 may be deflected back and connectedv to the mining machine as shown 'Figure 8. Similarly the machine and skid may be used to return the mining machine i'n stages toward the entry of the room depending upon working conditions.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a cutting mechanism having a flexible draft feeding means, and an actuator for operating the same, of a supporting skid upon which said cutting mechanisrn'may be carried having auxiliary flexible draft means thereon, and an independent actuator for said draft means.

2. In combination with a cutting mechanism having' a flexible draft feeding means and an actuator for operating the same, of a supporting skid upon which said cutting mechanism may be carried, having auxiliary flexible draft means thereon, anindependent t named winding drum.

4. In combination with a cutting mechanism having flexible draft feeding means including a winding drum and an actuator, of a supporting skid upon which said cutting mechanism may be carried, having auxiliary flexible draft means thereon within the lateral boundaries of said cutting mechanism and including a winding drum of greater capacity than the feeding drum on the cutting mechanism, andan independent actuator for saidlast named'winding drum.

5. In combination with a'cutting mechanism, having an actuator thereon, a wheeled truck for said cutting mechanism, a skid upon which the cutting mechanism may be mounted in interposed relation between said mechanism and said truck, an independent actuator upon said skid, and detachable power connections betweenV said last `named actuator and the truck wheels.

6. In combination with a cutting mechanism, having an actuator thereon, awheel truck for said cutting mechanism, a skid upon which the cutting mechanism may be mounted in interposed relation between said mechanism and said truck, anauxiliary flexible draft device on said skid having an independent actuator, and detachable power connections between said last named actuator and the truck wheels.

Signed at Chicago, in the county of 'Cook and State of Illinois,'this 6th day of September, 1923.

'EDWARD VJ. nonnnsrnin. 

